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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26236525">Book 1: Into The Shadows</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/deputysnowstorm/pseuds/deputysnowstorm'>deputysnowstorm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Brightstar AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warriors - Erin Hunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Prophecy, ShadowClan (Warriors), StarClan (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:00:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26236525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/deputysnowstorm/pseuds/deputysnowstorm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a universe where Rusty never joins ThunderClan, the fate of the forest depends on Brightheart and her kin. ThunderClan's medicine cat receives a prophecy from StarClan. She's sure it's about Frostfur's newest litter of kits. But how can a litter of kits save the clan when they can't save themselves from ShadowClan?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Brightstar AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905691</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> The little tortoiseshell cat weaved through the ancient oaks that towered above her. Despite being such a small part of this forest, she carried a huge weight on her back. She is the sole medicine cat of her clan, and a cat’s clan is everything in the wild. A clan is your family, your shelter, and where you belong. And today was rough for ThunderClan. The young medicine cat had spent all night healing the warriors of ThunderClan, after a harsh battle by the river. So many cats had been hurt. And worst of all, the clan had lost their deputy, the cat second-in-command to ThunderClan’s leader.</p><p><br/> The medicine cat jumped at the rustling behind her. A blue-gray cat emerged from the foliage. The tortoiseshell sighed with relief, “Oh, Bluestar! You startled me…” She dipped her head to greet the leader of her clan.</p><p><br/> “You shouldn’t be out here alone, Spottedleaf. You’re smart enough to notice the tension between all four clans, I’ve already lost one clanmate today…” The elder cat gazed up at the stars above them. Each star represented a lost clan cat. Her eyes locked onto the newest star to have joined StarClan in the sky.</p><p><br/> “He was my brother, you know…” Spottedleaf spoke with empathy, “If anyone can understand your grief, it’s me. You’re allowed to be sad about Redtail-”</p><p><br/> “It’s different, Spottedleaf. I’m the leader of ThunderClan!” Bluestar hissed. Spottedleaf flinched. The leader sighed, “I’m sorry for your loss,” <em>And for shouting,</em> but she wouldn’t say it outloud, “How is Mousefur?”</p><p><br/> “Her wounds are deep, Bluestar, but she is young and strong; she will heal quickly.”</p><p><br/>“And the others?”<br/>“They will all recover, too.”</p><p><br/>“I am deeply troubled by tonight’s defeat. ThunderClan has not been beaten in its own territory since I became leader.” Bluestar paced next to the medicine cat. “These are difficult times for our Clan. The season of newleaf is late, and there have been fewer kits. ThunderClan needs more warriors if it is to survive… Has StarClan spoken with you, Spottedleaf?” Spottedleaf shook her head. </p><p><br/>Suddenly, a shooting star blazed over the treetops. Spottedleaf’s tail twitched and the fur along her spine bristled. She turned to Bluestar, “A message from StarClan!” Bluestar gasped. The medicine cat stood and faced Bluestar, “A bright light alone can save our clan.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But days passed by since the night Spottedleaf had received StarClan’s prophecy. She and Bluestar discussed what it could possibly mean. It wasn’t until one morning with a fellow ThunderClan cat that she realized what StarClan might’ve been trying to tell her.</p><p><br/>Frostfur, a white she-cat with stunning blue eyes, was a new mother. Spottedleaf had assisted her in the birth of her first litter. The death of Frostfur’s mate, Lionheart, broke her heart. Lionheart was a courageous deputy before being slain in battle. But she didn’t hesitate to keep raising the kits on her own.</p><p><br/>“It’s nice of you to visit us, Spottedleaf. The kits love you!” Frostfur purred. ThunderClan’s nursery wasn’t too spacious; Spottedleaf’s fur brushed against Frostfur, but it was built this way purposely. The den was perfectly cozy to keep a queen and her kittens warm throughout the coldest leaf-bares.</p><p><br/>“Oh, of course, Frostfur! It’s my duty to make sure they’re healthy, after all. How have they been?” Spottedleaf raised her voice over the mewing of the four little kittens.</p><p><br/>“Well, it’s been so hard without their father… I’ve even put off naming the last female for so long. Lionheart had helped me named the others.” Frostfur sighed, “But I think they’re already growing before my eyes! I think I finally know what to name her!” She grabbed her daughter by the scruff, a tiny white kitten with orange patches of fur.</p><p><br/>“Is that so? What will you call her?” Spottedleaf asked.</p><p><br/>Frostfur plopped the she-kit under her soft belly, “Her name is Brightkit.”</p><p><br/>Spottedleaf felt a breeze send chills throughout her body, “Brightkit?” She remembered the prophecy; <em>A bright light alone can save our clan.</em></p><p><br/>“Oh… You don’t like it?” Frostfur ears drooped back.</p><p><br/>“No! I mean, It’s just unique. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful kit!” Spottedleaf spoke as she wondered how this kitten could grow up to save her clan.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Spottedleaf spent the next few days observing Frostfur’s litter. Not that Frostfur minded, she appreciated the extra help grooming her kits. Little did Spottedleaf know, her time with them would be cut short.</p><p><br/>One rainy morning, Spottedleaf woke up to small cries coming from the nursery. She rushed out of her den. Her nose twitched at an unfamiliar scent. Pawprints in the mud led towards the nursery. She gasped when she recognized the strange smell, <em>ShadowClan!</em></p><p><br/>This wasn't the scent of the ShadowClan prisoner, Yellowfang, who was captured by ThunderClan on the outskirts of the rival clan's territory. This was an intruder. Her mind immediately flooded with horrible thoughts. ShadowClan wouldn’t hurt a mother and her kittens, would they?</p><p><br/>Spottedleaf anxiously peered through the entrance of the nursery, but Frostfur was not resting in her nest. A tom with deep brown fur was snatching the kits. “Get away from them!” Spottedleaf spat.</p><p><br/>The ShadowClan warrior smirked with Brightkit hanging by her scruff in his teeth. He drops the kit and charges at Spottedleaf, but she fights back with her limited knowledge of combat. He pins her to the wet ground. Spottedleaf claws at his belly from below, forcing him off of her. When he turns back to sink his teeth into her throat, she realizes it’s too late. She looks at the innocent kits watching her bleed from her throat, “A bright light alone can save our clan...” She repeats before collapsing.</p><p><br/>The tom gathers the kits and escapes ThunderClan’s camp, leaving Spottedleaf’s dead body to be discovered by her clanmates when they awoke.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The four kits quivered before a looming tabby. This den wasn't the comforting nursery of ThunderClan; it was dark and clammy. The tabby's voice echoed off the rough walls, "You're a good warrior, Clawface. These kits will be adequate for our clan."</p><p><br/>
"Well, Brokenstar..." The brown warrior who had stolen the kits spoke, "They're not quite old enough to train."</p><p> </p><p>Brokenstar glared at the warrior, "They're just about Littlepaw's age. And his training is going fine, isn't it?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes, Brokenstar." Clawface broke the uncomfortable eye contact.</p><p> </p><p>Brokenstar looked at the litter with curiosity, "What are your names?" Clumped together in a pile, the kittens stared silently. The intimidating tabby grew impatient, "You can tell me. <em>My</em> name is Brokenstar, and I'm your new leader, so we should get acquainted."</p><p> </p><p>One kit, a golden-brown striped tom, spoke up willingly, "Thornkit."</p><p> </p><p>"Brackenkit." Said his brother, a darker tabby.</p><p> </p><p>Their sisters hesitated, but the dark gray she-kit responded once Brokenstar met her gaze, "Cinderkit."</p><p> </p><p>After watching her siblings comply, Brightkit did as well, "Brightkit."</p><p> </p><p>"That wasn't so hard," The leader said. "I know you'll enjoy training with ShadowClan. You'll learn what a warrior can <em>really</em> do, when he's not a flea-ridden ThunderClan cat. Let's introduce you to your new clan." Brokenstar and Clawface coaxed the kits out of the den.</p><p> </p><p>Even the trees in this part of the forest were nothing like the kits have seen before. Their peaks looked like they could prick your paw, and their thin needle-leaves coated the ground below. Brokenstar hopped to the top of a tall boulder that looked over ShadowClan's camp. "Warriors, gather," He announced, "Today, these four kits will become apprentices under ShadowClan. Clawface, come forward." Clawface passed through the crowd of cats and approached the boulder which Brokenstar stood upon. Brokenstar cleared his throat, "You did well finding new warriors to help your clan, and for that, I want to reward you with a second apprentice. I understand you're already mentoring Littlecloud, but I'm sure this will be no challenge for you. Will you pass on your knowledge to Thornkit?"</p><p> </p><p>"Of course." Clawface replied with a smirk. Thornkit's tail fell between his own legs.</p><p> </p><p>Brokenstar smiled at the new apprentice, "As an apprentice, you will be called Thornpaw." The young kit looked around at the older cats surrounding him. They began to chant his new name, "Thornpaw! Thornpaw!" Brokenstar raised his tail, ordering his warriors to settle down.</p><p> </p><p>"Cinderkit will now be known as Cinderpaw." Brokenstar said, "Newtspeck, will you mentor Cinderpaw?"</p><p> </p><p>A dark ginger tabby looked up at her leader, "I would be honored, Brokenstar." Then, she looked at the gray she-kit. The kit looked back and twitched her ears at the warrior.</p><p> </p><p>"Cinderpaw! Cinderpaw" The cats cheered.</p><p> </p><p>"Rowanberry," Brokenstar called out to a brown she-cat with cream patches, "Will you mentor Brackenkit?"</p><p> </p><p>Rowanberry nodded, "Yes."</p><p> </p><p>"Brackenkit, you will be known as Brackenpaw." Brokenstar said, "Finally, we have Brightkit. You are now Brightpaw. Blackfoot, would you mentor Brightpaw?" A white tom with black furred paws nodded to Brokenstar. The clan then shouted Brightpaw's new name.</p><p> </p><p>All four of the apprentices huddled together in front of their new clanmates. Whatever comes next, all they knew was that they had to stick together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Every kit born into ThunderClan's nursery hears the horrific tales of ShadowClan. And now, Brightpaw was sitting in their camp. After their early apprentice ceremony, Brightpaw and her siblings waited for their mentors. The grown warriors chattered for what felt like hours, occasionally glancing at the litter. At some points, Rowanberry would raise her voice at Clawface.</p><p> </p><p>Brackenpaw swayed his tail, "Are we really going to stay in ShadowClan forever?"</p><p> </p><p>"No way," Brightpaw mewed, "We were born in ThunderClan! The older cats always say that a cat who leaves their clan is a traitor... What's-his-name-star should know that."</p><p> </p><p>"Unless ShadowClan thinks differenly." Thornpaw spoke.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't worry, guys. We'll just have to wait for Frostfur to rescue us!" Brightpaw responded.</p><p> </p><p>Cinderpaw poked her sister with her gray tail, "So we're supposed to sit around and do nothing? We need to fight back!" Clawface looked over his shoulder at Cinderpaw and twitched his ears.</p><p> </p><p>"Quiet down, Cinderpaw!" Brightpaw hushed her. Clawface turned back to his clanmates, unaffected. "And that's mouse-brained. They're fully grown warriors and we're not even old enough to be training. This is against the warrior code, isn't it? Is StarClan going to be angry at us?" None of the siblings had an answer. No living cat understood how StarClan worked; just that as long as one lives by the warrior code, they'll spend their afterlife in StarClan.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the four ShadowClan warriors approached their apprentices. Clawface looked around with a deep hiss, "Now, Where in StarClan is Littlepaw? I swear if that kit is trying to get out of training again-"</p><p> </p><p>"Wait-" A small tom's voice cried out, "I'm right here, Clawface! I'm ready." Clawface huffed and turned away from Littlepaw. The younger light tabby lowered his head in embarrassment.</p><p> </p><p>"It was one time, Clawface," Newtspeck defended Littlepaw, "He's learnt his lesson." Thornpaw stared at the ShadowClan apprentice, wondering if he would have to receive the same cruel treatment. He couldn't imagine a small cat like Littlepaw as a troublemaker.</p><p> </p><p>Blackfoot cleared his throat, "It's a pleasure to meet you four. I am Blackfoot, the deputy of ShadowClan."</p><p> </p><p>Rowanberry nudged Brightpaw, "You should be honored to be mentored by such an important cat, Brightpaw." The ShadowClan warriors chuckled in response, although Brightpaw didn't find her words to be humorous. "Let's take you on your first patrol," Rowanberry added, "Littlepaw has already seen the borders of our territory, but he needs to train with apprentices that won't bully him."</p><p> </p><p>The mentors exited the camp through a tiny gap in a barrier of brambles. Brightpaw realized that the barrier surrounded the camp from every side. Only a stealthy ShadowClan cat would be able to make it through. Littlepaw followed after his mentor with ease.</p><p> </p><p>The siblings glared at each other. Cinderpaw was the first to try and get past without getting pricked. Brightpaw squeezed through next, with her brothers behind her. Brackenpaw felt a thorn stab him, "Ouch!" He yelped.</p><p> </p><p>Littlepaw came to a stop, "What's wrong, Brackenpaw?"</p><p> </p><p>"The bramble pricked me," Brackenpaw said, showing a tiny thorn tangled into his fur. The ShadowClan cats laughed. Brackenpaw's face felt hot, but Rowanberry came to his side and pulled the thorn with her claws. Brackenpaw whispered to his siblings, "I miss Frostfur..."</p><p> </p><p>"You'll get used to the bramble," Littlepaw said to Brackenpaw, "You can't hesitate. It took me a few tries to learn that."</p><p> </p><p>The group continued through the forest. It was all so unfamiliar, even the ground was softer and muddier, but one smell suddenly filled the air. Cinderpaw gagged, "StarClan! What is that scent?"</p><p> </p><p>"The Carrionplace," Newtspeck explained with a smile, "Two-legged creatures dump their waste there-"</p><p> </p><p>"But don't ever go there," Blackfoot added, "The twoleg scrap isn't worth it. It's infested with rats; too many to fight off at once. We've lost warriors who thought they could snatch an easy meal." Newtspeck looked down with sorrow in her eyes. Never did it occur to Brightpaw that the evil ShadowClan cats had emotions and loved ones, too. Not until she became one.</p><p> </p><p>Through the forest foliage, Brightpaw noticed sunlight reflected off silver webbing in the direction of the horrendous smell. She could almost see the piles of twoleg waste beyond the border, but she stayed close to her littermates.</p><p> </p><p>As the patrol walked along ShadowClan's border, a south breeze carried a scent that Thornpaw recognized. It smelled just like the fresh mossy bedding of the nursery he grew up in. He immediately chased after it. Clawface gasped, "Get back here, now!" Thornpaw was tripped by a root springing out of the earth. He stumbled onto a solid rock ground. Clawface grabbed his apprentice by the scruff. Thornpaw looked up and found himself on a long black path that split the forest in two. </p><p> </p><p>Thornpaw realized the rest of the ShadowClan cats were watching in fear, "Huh-" That's when the ground below him started to rumble, like the earth was growling at him. An object appeared on the path in the distance, too fast for Thornpaw to identify it. Clawface dragged him back to the safety of the forest just as the huge object zoomed past them.</p><p> </p><p>"Thornpaw!" Brightpaw cried, "What was that thing?" Thornpaw's mentor released him and he trotted to his siblings for comfort.</p><p> </p><p>"A monster." Newtspeck said. The apprentices flinched as another one raced by. The she-cat half-rolled her eyes, "Monsters don't leave Thunderpath, so stay <em>off</em> of Thunderpath and you'll be safe."</p><p> </p><p>"H-how was I supposed to know that there's monsters outside of ThunderClan territory!? Does ThunderClan know?" Thornpaw said.</p><p> </p><p>"Every clan avoids Thunderpath," Clawface scolded him, "More importantly, when your mentor gives you an order, you listen!" Clawface raised his paw, claws unsheathed.</p><p> </p><p>Rowanberry guarded Thornpaw from Clawface's wrath, "Wait, Clawface! Don't act irrationally," She spoke, "I understand he's your apprentice, but shouldn't his punishment be discussed with Brokenstar?" Clawface faced Blackfoot. The deputy nodded to him.</p><p> </p><p>Clawface lowered his paw and looked back at Thornpaw, "All ShadowClan apprentices must face consequences to their actions."</p>
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